Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement Preparers-1

List of Preparers and Reviewers

This Tier 1 EIS was prepared and reviewed by numerous professionals comprising the Arizona

Passenger Rail Corridor Study team.

Federal Railroad Administration

The following FRA staff was responsible for overall project management, technical direction, 

and review of the Tier 1 EIS.

Name Title Project Role/ Responsibilities

Andréa Martin Environmental Protection Specialist Project oversight and review

Kyle Gradinger Transportation Industry Analyst Project oversight and review

Michael Johnsen Supervisory Environmental 

Protection Specialist

DEIS Reviewer

Christopher

Van Nostrand

Regional Counsel DEIS Reviewer

Federal Transit Administration

The following FTA staff was responsible for technical direction and review of the Tier 1 EIS.

Name Title Project Role/ Responsibilities

Alexander Smith Community Planner DEIS reviewer

Daniel Koenig Environmental Protection Specialist DEIS reviewer

Brian Jackson Environmental Protection Specialist DEIS reviewer

Federal Highway Administration

The following FHWA staff was responsible for technical direction and review of the Tier 1 EIS.

Name Title Project Role/ Responsibilities

Rebecca Yedlin Environmental Coordinator DEIS reviewer

Romare Truly Community Planner DEIS reviewer

Aaron Williams Safety PDP DEIS reviewer

Tremaine Wilson Environmental Coordinator DEIS reviewer

Aryan Lirange Senior Urban Engineer DEIS reviewer

Tom Deiterling Project Delivery Team Leader DEIS reviewer

Alan Hansen Planning, Environment, Air Quality, 

and Realty Team Leader

DEIS reviewer
Preparers and Reviewers

Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement Preparers-2

Arizona Department of Transportation

The following Arizona Department of Transportation staff was responsible for technical 

direction and review of the Tier 1 DEIS.

Name Qualifications/Background Project Role/ Responsibilities

Mike Kies BS Civil Engineering; 

25 years of experience

Project Manager

Multimodal Planning Division

Thor Anderson 25 years of experience PEL Manager

Multimodal Planning Division

Carlos Lopez BSE Civil Engineering; 

7 years of experience

Deputy Project Manager

Multimodal Planning Division

Ruth Greenspan PhD Anthropology/New World 

Archaeology; 37 years of experience

Section 106, Cultural Resource 

Management Technical 

Reviewer

Linda Davis BA Anthropology;

10 years of experience

Cultural Resources Reviewer

Historic Preservation Team 

Erin Bodine MA Urban and Environmental 

Planning;

BA Anthropology; 4 years of 

experience

Cultural Resources Reviewer

Historic Preservation Team

Darcy Anderson MS Meteorology, MS Hydrology; 

25 years of experience

Air Quality, Noise and Vibration 

Reviewer

Ronald Tiller PhD Plant Biology; BS Zoology; 

31 years of experience

Biology Reviewer

Environmental Planning Group

Julia Manfredi MS Environmental Pollution 

Control; BS Environmental Science; 

11 years of experience

Water Quality Section 404 

Reviewer

Jacobs Engineering Group

The following Jacobs staff were responsible for directing and authoring the Environmental 

Impact Statement and notices, gathering data, and analyzing and reporting potential impacts of 

a passenger rail system on the natural, built, and social environment.

Name Qualifications/Background Project Role/ Responsibilities

Jack Allen BA Recreation and Parks—Wildlife 

Management/Forestry; 

28 years of experience 

Tier 1 EIS project director
Preparers and Reviewers

Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement Preparers-3

Name Qualifications/Background Project Role/ Responsibilities

Anthony Scolaro MUP Urban/Environmental 

Planning; BA English; AICP CEP; 

21 years of experience

Tier 1 EIS project manager and

primary author

Beth Defend BA Technical Journalism;

32 years of experience

Tier 1 EIS peer reviewer 

and author; 

Indirect and cumulative impact 

analysis

Betsi Phoebus MEP Landscape and Ecological

Planning; BA History; 

14 years of experience

Tier 1 DEIS QA/QC reviewer;

Section 4(f) and 6(f) resources,

parklands, waters of the U.S., 

and wetlands impact analyses

Lauren Abom MS Environmental Education; BS 

Environmental Resource Science; 

15 years of experience 

Land use impact analysis

Jennifer Zankowski MS Community and Regional 

Planning; BS Human Ecology; 

9 years of experience

Socioeconomic impact analysis;

environmental justice impact 

analysis

Jewel Touchin BA Anthropology; 

20 years of experience 

Cultural resources impact 

analysis

Mark Chenault PhD Anthropology; MBA; MA 

Anthropology; BA Anthropology; 

RPA; 32 years of experience

Senior reviewer, cultural 

resources impact analysis

Jill Harris MEP Environmental Planning; MS 

Environmental Resources; BS 

Wildlife and Fisheries Biology; AICP; 

19 years of experience 

Biological resources data 

collection and impact analysis

Bruce Palmer Graduate studies Biology; BS 

Biology; 35 years of experience

Biological resources impact 

analysis

James Hoyt BS Forest Service; 

22 years of experience 

Energy use and climate change 

impact analysis

Sean Watkins MUEP; BA Anthropology; 

10 years of experience 

Water quality, 

geology/topography /soils/

prime and unique farmland, and 

public health and safety impact 

analyses

Joe D’onofrio MEP; BSME; 

25 years of experience

Noise and vibration impact 

analysis; 

peer reviewer, air quality impact 

analysis
Preparers and Reviewers

Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement Preparers-4

Name Qualifications/Background Project Role/ Responsibilities

Phillip Peters MS Biology; BA Biology; 

15 years of experience

Water quality impact analysis

Dana Ragusa BS Environmental Studies; 

15 years of experience

Air quality impact analysis;

hazardous materials impact 

analysis; peer reviewer, noise 

and vibration impact analysis

Diane Yates BS Landscape Architecture; 

33 years of experience

Senior reviewer, visual and 

aesthetic resources impact 

analysis

Aliina Fowler MURP; BS Community 

Development and Applied 

Economics; BA Political Science; 3 

years of experience

Visual and aesthetic resources 

impact analysis

Linda St. John 8 years technical editing and 

desktop publishing experience 

Technical editor; document 

formatting and quality control

Jeremiah Johnston M. Divinity; M. Theology; 

BA Communications Studies; 

10 years writing and editing 

experience 

Managing editor; style manual 

author

Phyllis Davis MAS-GIS; BA Geography; 

8 years of experience 

GIS/data collection and analysis

Srdjan Todorovic BS Urban Planning; GIS Certificate;

3 years of experience 

GIS/cartography

Kyle Benne BA Geology; MS Urban Planning

1 year of experience

GIS/cartography

Parsons Brinckerhoff

The following Parsons Brinckerhoff staff were responsible for program management and 

oversight, alternatives analysis, and technical direction of the Arizona Passenger Rail Corridor 

Study.

Name Qualifications/Background Project Role/ Responsibilities

Steve Hogan MS Administration; MS 

Transportation Engineering; BS 

Engineering; PE;

36 years of experience

APRCS program manager;

alternatives analysis;

public and agency coordination;

transportation impacts;

comparison of alternatives;

next steps
Preparers and Reviewers

Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement Preparers-5

Name Qualifications/Background Project Role/ Responsibilities

Jennifer Love M Urban & Environmental Planning, 

Transportation & Sustainability; BS 

Civil Engineering, Transportation; 

PE, AICP, LEED AP; 15 years of 

experience

APRCS program coordinator;

alternatives analysis;

public and agency coordination

transportation impacts;

cost analysis

Scott Pitera M Urban Planning, Transportation; 

BS Urban & Regional Planning; 

AICP;

5 years of experience

Alternatives analysis;

public and agency coordination;

transportation impacts;

comparison of alternatives

Central Creative

The following Central Creative staff were responsible for public outreach and media 

coordination for the Arizona Passenger Rail Corridor Study.

Name Qualifications/Background Project Role/ Responsibilities

Kristin Darr BA Political Science and Journalism; 

23 years of experience

Public and agency coordination 

Amy Rosar BS Business 

Administration/Finance; 8 years of 

experience

Public and agency coordination 

Jared Sterlace BS Business 

Administration/Marketing; 3 years 

of experience

Public and agency coordination 

HDR

The following HDR staff were responsible for transportation demand modeling for the Arizona 

Passenger Rail Corridor Study.

Name Qualifications/Background Project Role/ Responsibilities

Scott Miller M Public Administration;

BS Urban Planning;

20 years of experience

Transportation impacts –

modeling; 

alternatives analysis

Vijay Mahal PhD Civil Engineering;

M Transportation Engineering;

M Civil Engineering; PE;

30 years of experience

Transportation impacts –

modeling;

alternatives analysis

Nicholas Karcz BS Urban Planning;

10 years of experience

Transportation impacts –

modeling; 

alternatives analysis
Preparers and Reviewers

Final Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement Preparers-6

URS

The following URS staff were responsible for cost estimating for the Arizona Passenger Rail 

Corridor Study.

Name Qualifications/Background Project Role/ Responsibilities

Kammy Horne MS Urban Planning; BS 

Environmental Planning/ NEPA 

Compliance and Transportation 

Planning; AICP;

20 years of experience

Cost analysis

Jennifer Pyne MEP Environmental Planning;

BA Politics/ NEPA Compliance and 

Transportation Planning; AICP;

17 years of experience

Cost analysis

John Donovan BS Civil Engineering / Railroads and 

Surface Transportation; PE;

26 years of experience

Cost analysis

James Kollbaum BS Civil Engineering /MS Civil 

Engineering / Traffic, Transit and 

Surface Transportation; PE;

18 years of experience

Cost analysis

AECOM

The following AECOM staff were responsible for land use advocacy and transit planning for the 

Arizona Passenger Rail Corridor Study.

Name Qualifications/Background Project Role/ Responsibilities

John McNamara Graduate Studies in Urban Design; 

B Architecture; AICP; 

40 years of experience

Alternatives analysis

Vijayant Rajvanshi MS Urban & Regional Planning; 

B Planning; AICP;

10 years of experience

Alternatives analysis